August 31, 2011
Can We Trust Eyewitness Identifications?
If only our memories were as accurate as they feel. A crime victim might stand behind the one-way mirror and, with total confidence, point to a suspect in a lineup. But total confidence is not the same thing as being right. Indeed, DNA exonerations have shown time and again that a reliance on eyewitness identifications can send innocent people to prison, or death row.
The Supreme Court of New Jersey issued a ruling last week telling judges to proceed with caution when a case hinges on a witness’s memory. An editorial in The New York Times on Saturday proposes that New Jersey's approach could be a model for other states and courts.
Given that jurors tend to think of memory as more dependable than it is, how can courts use eyewitness testimony and lineup IDs without overemphasizing their reliability?Read the Discussion »